Real Food Challenge Regional Coordinator – Job Description

food [food] n 1. something that nourishes, sustains, or supplies.

real [ree-uhl, reel] adj 1. true and actual; not artificial

The Real Food Challenge (RFC) is a new national campaign that unites and empowers students and their allies to create a food system that truly nourishes people, communities, and the earth. The RFC connects leaders on hundreds of campuses across the country and provides the tools they need to achieve shared goals and strategies. We do this through summits, trainings, on-the-ground organizing, and an online resource hub.

The central goal is to re-direct at least 20% of all the food purchased by colleges and universities (currently 4 billion dollars) toward real food within 10 years. This is our flagship goal—but not the only one. Overall, we want to foster an entire campus culture that supports real food. That means we also want to see more college farms and more academic programs that deal with food.

The Real Food Challenge will employ a Regional Coordinator in each of its 7 regional hubs*, beginning with the Northeast and California in 2007 and extending to all regions by 2010. The Regional Coordinator will play a critical role in the regional hub model of RFC, increasing RFC visibility and student participation and building the relationships that will be the core of our success.  This year, we are considering candidates from the Southeast, Midwest, Northwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southwest.  The Coordinators we hire will help to shape the campaign in its first full year of operation.  Over the last year, we have been laying the groundwork for an official launch in September of 2008.

The Challenge is a collaboration of The Food Project, the California Student Sustainability Coalition, and our other partners.  Learn more at www.realfoodchallenge.org.

Responsibilities Include:

Outreach

§     Recruit and develop a team of sub-regional organizers, called Area Organizers.  These are students who the Coordinator identifies as leaders and who volunteer extra-curricular time to organize events in their immediate area, facilitate communication between schools, and jointly plan an annual regional summit.

§     Support Area Organizers in their outreach efforts, event planning, and campaign implementation.

§     Help plan and run regional events, such as a Real Food Summit (in collaboration with Area Organizers)

§     Serve as a point person for publicity and networking, including relationships with key stakeholders and groups (e.g, United Students for Fair Trade, Student Farmworker Alliance, etc.)

Web/Communications

§     Ensure that the RFC database is up-to-date and accurate.

§     Update regional page of the website with news, contacts, and highlights.

§     Manage regional listserv and blog.

National

-Participate in conference calls with the National Working Group and with other Regional Coordinators to coordinate activities and refine RFC campaign.

- Help determine both national and regional goals.

-Act as a liaison between Area Organizers and Steering Committee.

Training/Support

·       Regional Coordinators will be supported by the national RFC staff, National Working Group, and by each other.

·       Coordinators will be given the opportunity to attend the Food and Society Conference as well as RFC-run trainings to gain skills and help them be more effective in their role.

Accountability and Relationships

• Report to the RFC Coordinator at The Food Project and the national Steering Committee.
• Set personal and campaign goals, and create bi-weekly and semesterly work plans—in conjunction with RFC leadership—for achieving those goals.
• Administrative tasks will be monitored by the RFC webpage administrator (the RFC Coordinator at The Food Project).

Requirements/Qualifications

• Current student or recent graduate is preferred.
• A passion for creating social change through “real food” and excitement about the RFC vision.
• Successful prior organizing experience, particularly—but not limited to—efforts to build awareness of food-related issues on campus (e.g. changing food purchasing policies, establishing college farms, fair trade organizing, working on Campus Climate Challenge, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability to lead a diverse collaborative effort and to network effectively.
• A familiarity with what is happening on campuses in your region concerning food and/or sustainability is desirable. 
• Ability to commit an average of 12 hrs/wk over a 9 month period (one entire school year).   The busiest times will be the weeks leading up to the Regional Summit, which will require the commitment of at least one weekend.  The Coordinator should also be able to set aside three days in the late spring or summer for training and planning with other members of the national team.
• An ability to attend a meeting with other Coordinators and Design Team members (all expenses covered) from April 28 to May 1, 2008 is desirable, although not mandatory.
• An ability to make this work as fun as it is serious!

Expected Start Date: August 1, 2008.  Decisions will be made by February 29.

Compensation: The Coordinator will be paid a stipend of $3,500.  Other benefits include trainings and a full scholarship to attend the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Food and Society Conference, April 28 - May 1, 2008.

For details or to submit an application, please contact Marissa Grossman at The Food Project: blast@thefoodproject.org or 617-442-1322 x19.